Locking mechanism of spring projected latching bolt type



June 26., 1951 w JQHNSTQN 2,558,361

LOCKING MECHANISM OF SPRING PROJECTED LATCHING BOLT TYPE Filed Sept. 4, 1947 INVEN TOR. E OWARD W JOHNS TON M MA Arromvev jamb to inset the keeper.

Patented June 26, 1951 UNITED STATES LOCKING MECHANISM OF SPRING PRO- J ECTED LATCHING BOLT TYPE Edward W. Johnston, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Frank Klinger and Edward W. Johnston, copartners, doing business as Jay Tool & Mfg.

00., Milwaukee, Wis.

Application September 4, 1947, Serial No. 772,129

2 Claims. (Cl. 292'l4) This invention relates to improvements in latching and locking mechanisms for swinging doors of the spring-projected latching bolt type and particularly rim-type locking latches.

Rim-type latches presently used on the inside of outwardly swinging doors, such as screen doors or storm doors, require, in the installation thereof carpentry work such as routing out the door Latches which may be installed without such carpentry work have only the friction latching feature and are not positively lockable.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a latching and locking mechanism which may be applied to the inside of outwardly swinging doors without such carpentry work.

A further object is to provide a locking latch which is light in weight, is capable of being inexpensively manufactured, and is of neat and pleasant appearance.

These objects are obtained by providing a keeper which is secured to the surface of the door lamb and a spring-projected latching bolt which is secured to the inner surface of the stile of the door. The keeper has-a cupped portion which receives and engages the end of the latching bolt. The cupped portion has sloping inner and outer walls on which the end of the latch bolt rides upon entering or leaving the cup. The latching bolt when extended is rotatable to a locked position, preventing the end from being withdrawn from the cupped portion of the keeper. The locking mechanism is simply installed. With the door closed, the keeper is positioned on the face of the jamb so that its edge is adjacent the stile of the door when closed and then wood screws are inserted to secure it. Next, the latching bolt is positioned on the inner surface of the stile of the door so that its head (as projected) rests snugly in the cupped portion of the keeper. It is then secured. by screws. In the ordinary latching of the door the end of the latching bolt rides up the sloping inner and outer surfaces of the cupped portion against spring tension. This tension is sumcient to hold the door closed against forces of gravity, drafts, wind, etc. However, it will readily unlatch under manual force applied to the door. When the latching bolt is rotated to locked position, it cannot be withdrawn and will stay seated in the cup holding the door locked unless abnormal force suflicientto break or deform the latch door is applied.

The novel features, which are considered characteristic of the invention, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of a specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l'is a view in side elevation of a latching I and locking mechanism embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in end elevation of the mechanism viewed in Fig. 1 taken from the left-hand end of such figure;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an exploded view showing the elements of the mechanism viewed in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a proposed blank from which the latching bolt is formed.

Referring to the drawing by reference numerals, the latching and locking mechanism is shown mounted on the inside of an outwardly swinging door such as a screen door or storm door. The keeper I0 is secured to the face of the door jamb J adjacent its door-abutting edge. The keeper is disk-like in shape with a centrally located cup or cupped portion ll formed therein. In forming the cupped portion ll its inner and outer walls are sloped at an angle of substantially forty-five degrees to its base plane to provide camming surfaces up and down which the end of the latching bolt may slide in the latching and unlatching action. While it is not necessary, it has been found advantageous to provide the keeper Ill with a chord-like straight edge l2 which provides a guide for properly positioning the keeper adjacent the edge of the jamb and permits the center of the cupped portion to be nearer to such edge. The base of the keeper has holes l3 through which the wood screws M are inserted to fasten the keeper in place.

The latching bolt [6 is mounted on the inner face of the stile S of the door so that it projects toward the face of the jamb J when the door is closed. A bracket 2| provided with a barrellike bearing 22 provides the support for the latching bolt IS. The bracket 2| has screw-holes 24 in its four corners through which the wood screws 25 are inserted to secure the bracket in place. The latching bolt I6 is hollow and is preferably formed from a single blank I! shaped as generally shown in Fig. 5. The blank I! has a tab l8 and complementary notches l9 shaped and placed as shown. The latching bolt is formed by folding the blank about its central axis and at the same time curving the surfaces to make the blank cylindrical in form. When the blank is formed the notches complement each other to form a pair of oppositely positioned L,-shaped slots I9, and the central portion provides a semi-spherical head 23. At the time the blank I 1 is formed the tab I8 is bent at right angles to the plane of the blank and twisted through ninety degrees, thereby presenting a flat surfaced handle which is readily usable for rotating the latching bolt. In the forming process, the edges of the blank ll are upset and make a circumferential flange 30 designed to abut against the bearing 22 and limit the forward movement of the latching bolt [6. The latching bolt 11 has a slidable fit within the bearing 22 "cupped ortion I I. r r Fig. 1, the L-shaped slots iii are so positioned and is resiliently continually toward latch- 7 ing position by a coil compression spring 25. The coil compression spring 26 is carried within the bolt IS with one end reacting against the inside of the head 20 and the other end react- 4 I8. This bringsthe base of the L-shaped slots l9 into alinement with the pin 28 to prevent the latching bolt H! from being withdrawn under the camming'action set up by force applied to open the door.

, 'Itshould'beinotedthat the various parts of the 7 locking mechanism may be inexpensively stamped and the apertures 23 are so spaced from the H inner edge of the bearing 22 that when'the bolt I! is projected the full amount thelimiting abut- "merit will be between'the flange 30 and the-end of the bearing 22 and there will be a slight spac'e "between the pin 28 and base of the L-shaped slots IS. The purpose of this is to have the-wear slots IS. The legs of the slots it are long enough to permit the latching bolt E6 to be withdrawn against the compression of the spring far enough to permit its end 129 to ride up the walls of the As most clearly shown in angularly circumferentially of the bolt I6 that when the locking handle I8 is horizontal, the "pin 2B will be in alinement with the legs of the slots 19 and thus permit the barrel to be withdrawn. However, when the handle i8 is depressed, the latching bolt I5 is rotated clockwise as viewed in Fig. 2. This brings the base of the L-shaped'slots [9 into alinement with the pin 28. When in this position the pin 28 will engage the bases of these slots and prevent the latching bolt 16' from being withdrawn. Any conventional and conveniently installed door handle '2}? maybe secured to the outside of the stile S.

To install the latching and locking mechanism, the keeper IO isfir'st positioned on the face of the jamb J with its guiding edge [2 parallel-to and substantially in alinement with the door abutting edge of the jarnb. While held in this position the screws [4 are driven. With the door closed the latching bolt l6 (while unlocked and projecting) is then placed on the inner surface of the stile S and positioned so that the head 20 snugly rests in the cupped portion II. There may be some slight retraction of the bolt IS in "the bearing '22 but this is not necessary if there of the cupped portion I! and the camming action therebetween causes the bolt to be withdrawn compressing the spring 25. As the head Zll'passes over the top of the wall, the action of the spring 26 causes the head 20 to slide down theinner wall and snap into the cupped portion 1 I. The tension in the spring 26 is suflicient to hold'the latch in this position against the normal forces exerted against the door by wind, drafts, and gravity. However, by manually pressing outwardly against the door near the latching mechanism the head 20 will ride up the inner wall of the cupped portion l I and cause the bolt to be withdrawn against the tension of the spring 26 permitting the door to be opened. However, if it is desired to lock the door, the bolt P9 is rotated by depressing the locking handle froms'he'et metal and yet when assembled these parts are eompact, accurate, and neat appearing. The 'keeper I0 does not unduly project from the base of the jamb J and has no sharp projections obstructing passage through the doorway.

Although only one embodiment of the inventionis shown and described herein, it will be understood that this application is intended to cover such changes or modifications ascojme with inthe spirit of the invention or scope of the following claims.

1. A latch for the inside of outwardly swinging doors comprising a bearing bracket having a bearing for a latching bolt adapted to be directly secured to the inner face of a door stile adjacent the doorjamb, a hollow latching bolt slidably mounted in said bearing, said bolt having as'emispherical keeper'engaging head, a pair of oppositely related L-shaped-sldts in the wall of said bolt, a pin mounted in said bearing and passing through said slots, a spring mounted withins'aid bolt and reacting-between said headand said pin to resilientlyurge said bolt into latching position, the legs of said L-shaped slots permitting operative longitudinal movement of said bolt relative to said bearing, a handle onsai'd bolt whereby 'saidbolt may be rotated when in extended position, the 'base'of said L -sh'aped slots 7 cooperating with said pin when said bolt is retated to one extreme of rotation to restrain said bolt from longitudinal withdrawingmovement.

accommodating a pin, a .pin mounted in said bearing and .passing through said slotsto permit said bolt to have longitudinal movement, aspring mounted within-said bolt andreacting between said closed end and said pin to resiliently urge said boltforwardly into keeper-engaging-position, and a flange at the open end of said bolt engageable with .said bearing to limit the forward movement ofsaid bolt.

EDWARD W. JOHNSTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 400,814 Wright Apr. '2, 1889 487,590 Gleason Sept. 30,1890

1,171,645 Reinert Feb. 15, 1916 1,298,266 Vandre'uil 1--. Mar. 25, 1919 1,580,611 Kirkpatrick Apr. 13, 1926 1,805,099 Kumber 1 May V12, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 584,671 Germany Sept. .22, 1933 

